The vibrant and eclectic arts community in St. Petersburg has a new addition! Sew Pinellas is an educational sewing studio located in the front building at 5601 Haines Rd N. Housed inside the studio of Porcelynne, Jennifer Fairbanks’s primary business, it’s a place where every stitch tells a story.
Jennifer Fairbanks has a sewing legacy that spans over two decades with expertise stemming from her time as an instructor at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in both San Francisco and Los Angeles. She’s a St. Pete native who fondly recalls frequenting shops on Haines Road in the early 90s. Fairbanks calls the opening of Sew Pinellas a full-circle moment for her.
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The 2400-square-foot building is divided into three parts: Sew Pinellas, Porcelynne, and the studio of local artist Gianna Pergamo. Porcelynne is a renowned figure in the online sewing supply realm, specializing in lingerie-making supplies and patterns. Fairbanks is excited to be introducing classes for sewing, clothes altering, costuming, and more into the tapestry of St. Pete’s arts community. 
Are you new to sewing? These classes are for you.
The beginner class spans a two-hour class once a week for three weeks. Currently, classes run in Tuesday or Thursday sessions. All of her classes are ages 8 and up, so younger sewers are welcome and encouraged! The introductory sewing classes help new sewers master the essentials and create curated small projects. Fairbanks makes sure to introduce participants to several different types of sewing machines to build their confidence. The next three courses begin on January 25, February 22, and February 27. Classes have a capacity of 8 participants.
Eventually, she hopes to add an advanced series for more experienced sewers. Down the road, she wants to host open workshops where sewers can bring their machines or use one of the studios to work on their projects. Fairbanks would be available to assist or offer guidance.
Helping students learn the art of costuming
Sew Pinellas is partnering with the local youth performing arts program St. Pete MAD to teach the art of costuming to aspiring young costume designers. From storyboarding characters to discussing budgets, and learning how to decide between sourcing costume elements or making them – it covers the gambit. Students will then learn how to adjust the costumes to fit several different age groups in the program, observing how costumes appear onstage, making last-minute changes, and even repairs. The first iteration of the program runs from February 4 through April 21.
The Summer Costume Program dates are yet to be announced but will follow a fuller performance schedule and pivot to two-week classes instead of semester-long. Sew Pinellas will also offer two-week long Summer Fashion Design and Cosplay Camps for ages 8 to 18 starting June 10. 
Gianna Pergamo, a beloved St. Pete artist finds a new studio space
The new creative space has even more creative fuel in its jets as vintage-inspired collage artist, Gianna Pergamo, recently relocated her art studio to inside the Sew Pinellas space. Soon, she’ll lead collage-making classes in the Sew Pinellas space. Her quirky collage and acrylic paint art under the moniker “Pergamo Paper Goods” features excited alligators in a-line skirts, classy pink flamingos in business suits, sassy foxes doing laundry, and more. It’s quintessentially old funky Florida and we adore all of it.
How to keep up with everything happening at Sew Pinellas
To stay up to date with their upcoming classes, workshops, and more be sure to check out their website, and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
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